Falling Off The Ladder
by Anime Girl23
Summary: DISCONTINUED! SORRY! To everyone at East High School, it seemed like Ryan and Sharpay Evans had the perfect life. Talent, popularity, friends. They couldn't have been any more wrong. R
1. Twin Protectors

Hey, everyone! Now that we have our own section for High School Musical, I decided to post this story. I've been working on this since last week and it's going pretty far. I love Ryan so I just had to post it! D

Disclaimer: If I owned High School Musical, Ryan would have had a bigger part.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 1

Twin Protectors

_**Evans House**_

Slowly creeping down the hall, Sharpay gentle edged the door to her older brother's room open. Quietly stepping in, she shut the door with a soft click. Walking to the crumpled figure that was slumped against the wall, Sharpay softly said, "Ryan? Ryan, wake up."

Below her the figure stirred. Lifting his head, Ryan looked at Sharpay through glazed eyes. "Shar?"

Smiling down at the brother sadly, she nodded. "Yeah, it's me." She sighed when she saw the bruises blossoming on his stomach and the small trails of blood that fell down his face. "He's at it again."

"I'll be fine," Ryan said, struggling to move into a sitting position against the wall of his bedroom.

Shaking her head frantically, Sharpay felt tears for behind her eyes. "No, Ryan. No." Beginning to cry softly, she rested her head against Ryan's chest and felt him wrap his arms around her gently. She knew he didn't have much strength left from when their father had been in there.

It had started when they were six. Ryan had suddenly collapsed while the two were playing and was rushed to the hospital. At the start, the doctors had thought it was from exhaustion or malnutrition, but they had found the error quickly. Ryan had a small hole in his lung. It was too difficult to operate on and there was a good chance that if he did get the operation he could die beneath the knife.

There wasn't much that they could do for Ryan. They had admitted him into the hospital for a few days. That didn't do much except make medical bills soar. That's when the family problems had started. Their father, Michael, had remembered the play the two had starred in when they were in kindergarten and began to push the two to continue. In his mind, he was convinced that they would make it big and that any other medical emergencies Ryan may have would be paid for by the talent the two had.

Then, when they were ten, Ryan was rushed to the hospital again. Their father had pushed him too hard to improve in his dancing and his body couldn't handle it. It only got worse. In the waiting room Michael had begun ranting about how he had to get Ryan back to the house so he could get back to practicing. A nurse had seen how distraught Sharpay was and how her father only yelled at her to quit crying. Child Protective Services was called minutes later.

They hadn't bought Michael's story that Ryan had pushed himself too far. Sharpay was allowed to stay in Ryan's hospital room until he was released, but after that they were to be sent to a foster home until the officials could make sure that Michael wouldn't endanger either of his children. They had spent two months in a home with a kind couple and their young daughter. The three had quickly become friends, but when their foster mother got transferred, Sharpay and Ryan were told they would be returning home. Apparently, the officials had decided the twins were safe back at their home. After they left, the two never heard from the kind family again.

The officials had been wrong when they said Michael was safe. Once they got home, Michael had begun to fight with their mother, Alison, more. At first it had only been small arguments where they would give each other the silent treatment for a day, but as time went on things intensified. Michael would walk out and return hours later drunk. Not too long after, Michael began to hit Ryan. At first it was only a slap or two. Then slaps turned into punches and punches were assisted by kicks. He thought that was bad enough. But then Michael bought the leather whip.

Eventually it became routine. Michael would leave and return drunken hours later and as soon as he walked in the door he would go straight to Ryan's room and would use any excuse he could find to beat his only son. After Ryan's yells had ended and Michael had gone to the master bedroom, Sharpay would sneak into her brother's room and help with what she could. Today was the same as every other day.

"Ryan, we have to tell someone. Please," Sharpay begged.

"I can handle it, Shar. I can," Ryan insisted.

"Ryan, you don't even fight back against him anymore! How is that handling it?"

"It's giving him a reason to stop sooner. If I fight back he'll just keep going."

Letting a tear slip past her eye, Sharpay helped her brother out of his blue and white, button down shirt. "Thank God you have a ton of these."

"They're all I really buy, Shar. It's too hard to get out of T-Shirts without hitting a bruise or stretching them," Ryan said. Gently shrugging off the shirt, Ryan leaned against the wall as Sharpay began to clean the small cuts that littered his chest and trails of blood that were coming from the corner of his mouth.

"Bit your tongue?" Sharpay asked.

Ryan nodded.

"All right," Sharpay said. "Lie down on your bed. We need to get at the gashes on your back."

Obeying his sister, Ryan struggled to stand and drag himself to the bed. Feeling searing pain shooting through his back, Ryan clenched his teeth in an attempt to keep from crying out. He knew how much it hurt his sister to pour the rubbing alcohol on his back and he didn't want to make it worse by crying out. He had to protect her in any way he could. Sighing in relief as the pain subsided, Ryan felt himself slowly slipping into darkness. "Thanks, Shar," he whispered.

"Sleep tight, big bro," Sharpay said, watching as Ryan's eyes close and his breathing even out. Drawing the dark blue comforter over her brother, Sharpay lay above the covers so she was beside Ryan and drifted off to sleep.

TBC

Anime Girl23: Hope you liked it!

Ryan: This isn't going to turn out good, is it?

Anime Girl23: Ryan, you're idea of good and my idea of good are totally different. P Just be ready.

Until next time!


	2. English Notes

Hey, everyone! Thanks so much for all of you who reviewed to chapter one! And for the one who asked, no it isn't incest. I don't read it and I sure as hell don't write it. I mean come on! Blood siblings together! That's just…well, let's just say I'd rather _keep_ my lunch. Thank you. Hope you like chapter two!

Disclaimer: Oh, I wish.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 2

English Notes

_**Evans House**_

"Ryan, are you sure?"

"I'm going, Shar," Ryan said. He understood the worry Sharpay felt for him, but it was getting a little annoying. The wounds on his back that had been left by their father's whip were still fresh so he understood how bad it could be for one to open and bleed through his shirt.

Sighing, Sharpay held out her brother's jacket out for him to take. "Take it before I call the school and tell them you're not going."

"Aye aye, Captain," Ryan said, teasingly.

"Oh, shut up."

---

Walking past the gates of East High School, Sharpay sent her brother a worried look before walking in the direction of their first class. They had tried their hardest to get every class together, but in the end had to separate for Math and History.

Sighing, Sharpay sat in her seat beside the window and waited for the bell to ring so she could go back and check on her brother.

For years now, both of them had been protecting each other. Ryan took everything their father threw, despite his sister's objections. And Sharpay took care of Ryan's injuries. All Sharpay wanted right now was to get back to her brother and make sure that he was okay.

"Miss Evans?"

Snapping her head up, Sharpay saw her Math teacher sending her an annoyed glare.

"Well, now that you've decided to join us, can you please tell us the answer of number six?"

"Um…eight?" Sharpay guessed.

Glaring at her, Mrs. Marley opened her mouth to begin yelling at Sharpay, only to be interrupted by the bell.

Springing up from her seat, Sharpay quickly exited the room.

"Sharpay!"

Turning, Sharpay saw Gabriella hurrying towards her. "Hey," Sharpay said.

"Are you okay today?" Gabriella asked. They weren't close, but Gabriella was worried when she saw the expression Sharpay had on her face during math.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," Sharpay lied. She couldn't let anyone find out about what was happening at home.

Looking at Sharpay uncertainly, Gabriella nodded. "Okay, but if you need to talk…"

"Thanks," Sharpay said, smiling softly. Giving Gabriella a small wave, Sharpay went to her English class.

"Hey," Ryan said, smiling softly at his sister. "Where were you? You usually beat me here."

"I was talking to Gabriella for a minute." Giving Ryan a small gesture to turn and walk ahead of her, Sharpay quickly ran her eyes over his back to make sure there were no spots of blood on his shirt.

Sitting in his seat, Ryan gave a small sigh of relief as Sharpay sent him a small shake of his head, telling him he was all set. Taking out his notebook, Ryan quickly wrote a short note and passed it to Sharpay.

_Are you okay?_

_-Ryan_

Looking at Ryan, Sharpay quickly wrote her reply. Soon they were passing them back and forth.

_I'm okay. I'm just worried about you. Yesterday was the worst he's ever done. Ryan, we really need to tell someone._

_-Sharpay_

_Shar, I told you yesterday. I can handle it. Do you want to get thrown into a foster home again?_

_-Ryan_

_If it got you away from that freaking whip…hm…let me think…YES!_

_-Sharpay_

_Sharpay, I'll be fine. Besides, he'll just get worse if he finds out people know about what's going on at home._

_-Ryan_

_It would get us out of there! Ryan, he could kill you! It's already bad enough that he's beating you, but what if you have another attack? You almost died last time! Ryan, you're my big brother. I don't want to lose you._

_-Sharpay_

_You won't lose me. And don't forget. We were ten when the last attack hit and I was still a little kid. When was the last time I had an attack?_

_-Ryan_

_While we were practicing for call backs._

_-Sharpay_

_Okay, first of all that was a small one. I was fine. I just had to catch my breath._

_-Ryan_

_You blacked out, Ryan._

_-Sharpay_

_It was only for a minute._

_-Ryan_

_You still blacked out._

_-Sharpay_

_Yeah, yeah. I'm telling you, Shar. I'll be fine._

_-Ryan_

_Promise?_

_-Sharpay_

_Promise._

_-Ryan_

Suddenly the bell rang.

Throwing her English book over the folded paper, Sharpay separated from her brother and hurried towards her History class while Ryan went towards his Math class.

TBC

Anime Girl23: And chapter two is complete!

Ryan: And I must say, you are insane and need years of therapy.

Anime Girl23: Thanks. I love you too! Review please!

Until next time!


	3. Collision Before Discovery

Hey, everyone! D I'm glad to know you all liked chapter two! I wasn't sure if the note took up too much of the chapter. Hope you all like this one!

**Note**: For the people that were wondering why Sharpay was acting different I'll clear it up for you. She's worried about Ryan and right now that's overpowering the need to keep up the ice-queen face. And also, I kind of had thought of it as though she got a bit of...I guess you can say a slap in the face from when she didn't get the part and took down the I'm-So-Much-Better-Than-You look.

Disclaimer: I have the movie on next to me and am wishing with everything I have that I did own it, but sadly I don't.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 3

Collision Before Discovery

_**East High School**_

Walking down the hall, Sharpay drifted off into her thoughts. Suddenly, she gasped as she collided with a solid object. Snapping out of her thoughts, she saw Kelsey in front of her and papers covering the ground.

"Sorry," Kelsey said, falling to her knees to gather the fallen papers.

Lowering herself to the ground to give Kelsey a hand, Sharpay held out a folder containing a handwritten version of the musical. "Here."

"Thanks." Taking the folder, Kelsey stood and held out her hand for Sharpay.

Taking the offered hand, Sharpay quickly dusted herself off. "Sorry about the collision. Guess I zoned out."

Shocked at Sharpay's apology, Kelsey could only nod. Watching as Sharpay gave her a small nod and went on her way, Kelsey continued to the class she ironically shared with Sharpay. Opening the folder containing the musical, Kelsey began to resort the papers that had fallen out. Finding a paper she didn't recognize, Kelsey's eyes widened as she saw three words, in Sharpay's handwriting, which sent a chill down her spine.

…_he's beating you…_

"Oh, my god," Kelsey whispered.

"Is there a problem, Kelsey?" Mr. Martin asked.

"No, sir," Kelsey said shaking her head.

Nodding at her, Mr. Martin continued with his lesson.

Turning her head in Sharpay's direction, Kelsey looked at her in disbelief. Shaking her head, she silently reminded herself to talk to Sharpay after class.

---

Looking up, Sharpay noticed Kelsey looking at her. "Is there something on my face?" Sharpay mumbled to herself. Taking out her mirror, she saw that her face was clear and only got more confused. Shrugging slightly, Sharpay wrote it off as Kelsey just being weird.

Slowly, Sharpay fell into her thoughts again. She was worried about Ryan. Lately he'd been acting slightly subdued and sluggish. It wasn't right that he seemed so laid back about their father. It worried her that he might be giving into Michael.

It seemed like hours before class ended and Sharpay was able to rush out towards gym. Today the students were selecting their classes for the second semester so they only had three classes that day giving Sharpay time to spend with her brother.

"Sharpay! Hold on a second!"

Turning to see Kelsey behind her, Sharpay placed her books into her locker. "Yeah?"

"Um…I…um…Never mind."

Watching as Kelsey turned and ran in the direction of the gym, Sharpay shrugged. "That girl can be _so _weird."

---

"Hey, Shar," Ryan said, walking up to his sister at the gym doors.

"Hey," Sharpay said, smiling. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Ryan insisted. "And don't even start. I'm doing gym."

"But-"

Suddenly the late bell rang, interrupting Sharpay.

"And we're late," Ryan said, entering the gym.

"Why are you two late?" Mr. Baker asked.

Their usual gym teacher was Troy's dad, Mr. Bolton, but he had gotten hurt at the game the Friday before and the students were stuck with Mr. Baker. No one understood why he was chosen since he was a substitute for History. All he ever did was rant about the Civil War and give students detention.

"Sorry, sir. I wasn't feeling well and Sharpay had stuck behind with me in class for a few minutes," Ryan lied.

"Unless you both have a pass I'll be seeing you both after school for detention," Mr. Baker said.

"Detention!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"I take it you don't have a pass," Mr. Baker said.

"No, sir," the twins said in unison.

"I'll see you both after school," Mr. Baker said, walking off.

TBC

Anime Girl23: Hope you all liked this chapter!

Ryan: Do I even want to know what you have planned?

Anime Girl23: Maybe…Review, please!

Until next time!


	4. More Lies

Hey, everyone! It's chapter four! Yay! Well, today has been a good day. I woke up, went to a 50's diner for breakfast, had a figure skating competition, and got third place! D

Disclaimer: I wish.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 4

More Lies

_**East High School**_

"Dude, what happened to you?" Chad asked.

Trying to hide his panic, Ryan asked, "What do you mean?"

"Your arm," Chad said pointing to Ryan's bruised arm.

Looking down at his arm, Ryan noticed how dark the bruises had gotten. "Oh, that," Ryan said. "I was practicing a dance routine with Sharpay and messed up while I was doing one of the moves. We had moved a bit too close to the stairs. And…I think you get the point."

Lying was becoming pretty easy to do.

Wincing, Troy said, "That has got to hurt."

Ryan shrugged. "I'll live. Just some bruises, right?"

"Bolton! Danforth! I'll see you both for detention!" Mr. Baker yelled.

"What did we do?" Chad asked.

"Last boys out. Mr. Evans here already asked for detention. Move it, boys."

"Yeah, I _asked_ for it," Ryan muttered, sarcastically. "Senile idiot."

Troy and Chad laughed.

"Hey, guys," Gabriella said. "Detention?"

"You get it too?" Troy asked.

"Yeah," Kelsey said, nodding. "Apparently, we don't have the right attitude."

"Are you serious?" Chad asked, laughing.

"Oh, shut up," Kelsey said. "So what are we doing today?"

"I think he got high or something because we're doing ping-pong," Sharpay said.

"Ping-pong!"

---

Gym had ended pretty quickly, thankfully. When a freshman called Sam had a ping-pong ball slam into his eye, Mr. Baker had to take him to the nurse and told everyone to get changed and wait on the bleachers until the class ended.

After the bell rang the six went through the school pretending to be picking out their new classes. They had decided weeks ago, so they had two hours to waste until detention.

Unnoticed by the group, Sharpay was continuously sending Ryan worried glances. Suddenly, Ryan gasped in pain.

Turning, Sharpay asked, "Are you okay?"

Wincing slightly, Ryan nodded. "I'm fine. Just got pushed into the lockers. Hit a lock."

Watching as Ryan moved and began to walk ahead of her, Sharpay's eyes widened. "Ryan!" she exclaimed. Seeing the others look at her strangely she laughed a bit nervously. "Um…Ryan? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Running ahead of him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down the hall and out of the other's line of vision. Shoving him into the nurse's office, she shut the door quickly.

"What the hell?"

"Your back," Sharpay said. "The cuts opened. It's bleeding though your shirt."

Looking in the mirror, Ryan cursed under his breath.

"Let me re-bandage it," Sharpay said.

Nodding at Sharpay, Ryan slowly shrugged off his shirt. "We're pretty lucky that when the nurse moved to the new office she left her stuff here."

"Yeah," Sharpay said, nodding. Slowly bandaging the marks, she sighed. "Ryan-"

"Don't start, Shar," Ryan said. "We're not telling anyone."

"Stubborn," Sharpay said. "Okay, I'm done, but your shirt's stained."

"I'll just keep my jacket on," Ryan said, shrugging.

"Why don't you just go home?"

"Can't," Ryan said shaking his head. "We have detention. I'd rather just get it over with."

"Even when your body isn't up to staying up any longer than it needs to?" Sharpay asked.

"Let's go, Shar," Ryan said, walking out.

"Ryan, wait up!"

TBC

Anime Girl23: Done! D

Ryan: You have fun torturing me, don't you?

Anime Girl23: Yes. Yes, I do. Review, please!

Until next time!


	5. Fade To Black

Hey, everyone! Sorry you've had to wait a while. I've been wicked busy. I want to thank all of you who have reviewed! It's kept me going.

Disclaimer: Like I've said before, if I owned High School Musical then Ryan would have had a larger part.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 5

Fade To Black

_**East High School**_

"Okay, does anyone know what you do for detention in gym?" Chad asked.

"No clue," Kelsey said.

"Ready for detention, everybody?" Mr. Baker asked.

"Yes, sir," the six teens said in unison.

"Girls, you might want to get out of those heels."

"Why?" Sharpay asked.

"Because you'll be running laps," Mr. Baker said.

"But-"

"No buts, Miss Evans. You're running."

"How many laps?" Troy asked.

"Ten."

"Ten!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"Let's just get running," Ryan said, tying his sneakers.

"But, Ryan-"

Looking at his sister sharply, Ryan stood.

"Move it!" Mr. Baker barked.

Grumbling under their breath, the girls followed the boys and began to run.

"Faster!"

"He is _not _serious," Gabriella panted, running her fourth lap.

"I'm very serious, Miss Montez. Faster!"

"This guy is insane," Ryan muttered under his breath.

Ryan didn't know how much longer he could last. He could barely breathe and black dots were beginning to dance in front of his eyes. Shaking his head, Ryan tried to focus on getting his laps finished. He didn't want to make Sharpay panic.

Looking at her brother as she saw him begin to fall a bit behind, Sharpay silently cursed Mr. Baker to the darkest corner of hell. "Five laps left," Sharpay said.

"Thank God," Kelsey said, panting.

"You okay, man?" Troy asked, noticing Ryan was beginning to slow down.

"Yeah," Ryan panted. "I'm fine. I don't usually run this much."

"Not having fun?" Chad asked.

"Not at all," Ryan admitted, closing his eyes for a moment.

The spots in front of his eyes were getting larger and it seemed as if his lungs were blocked.

Suddenly the girls sped up until they were neck and neck with the boys.

"So…who's never running again after this?" Kelsey asked.

Everyone raised their hands.

"Ryan, you need to stop," Sharpay whispered.

"I'll be fine," Ryan insisted. "Don't worry about me. Kelsey, how many laps are left?"

"Four," Kelsey said, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Looking at his sister, Ryan said in a whisper, "See? Only four left. I'll be fine."

"Ryan, you look like you're about to pass out," Sharpay whispered.

"Drop it, Sharpay," Ryan snapped, immediately regretting it after. "Shar, I-"

"Fine, whatever! Excuse me for being worried about my older brother," Sharpay snapped running ahead of Ryan.

Suddenly, Ryan felt his air passage close up and his vision black out for a second. Feeling himself fall to the ground, Ryan's world went black.

Hearing a small thump, Sharpay looked back and screamed. "RYAN!"

TBC

Anime Girl23: Yay! Chapter 5 is done!

Ryan: What is wrong with you? Do you enjoy tormenting your favorite characters?

Anime Girl23: Hell yes! I mean, when it's your favorite character it just makes it better. It leaves you thinking, "Tell me what's going to happen! I have to know!" Anyway, please review!

Until next time!


	6. Unknown Friendships

Hey, everyone! I'm really sorry that I made you all wait so long for chapter six, but it's here now so I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: What do you think!

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 6

Unknown Friendships

_**East High School**_

"RYAN!"

Turning at the sound of Sharpay's scream, the others stared in shock at the crumpled figure on the ground.

Rushing to her brother, Sharpay fell to her knees beside Ryan. "Ryan! Ryan, wake up!"

"What happened to him?" Gabriella asked, falling to her knees beside Sharpay.

"I don't know," Sharpay said, slightly lying. "I turned around and he was on the ground."

"Troy! Go get Mr. Baker! He needs help!" Kelsey ordered, panicked.

Nodding, Troy turned and ran in the direction of the locker room.

Placing her hand to his neck, Kelsey sighed in relief. "He has a pulse."

"What happened?" Mr. Baker asked, coming up to the group.

"He just passed out," Sharpay said.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Chad asked.

"No," a weak voice said. "I'm fine."

Looking down, the five were shocked to see Ryan awake.

Shaking her head frantically, Sharpay said," Ryan, you just passed out!"

"She's right," Troy said.

"You _did_ pass out," Chad said.

"It's okay," Ryan insisted. "I've been feeling a bit sick lately and haven't slept well."

Okay, that was a lie, but if he went to the hospital the nurses would see the marks his father left. Only trouble would follow after that.

"Either way, I'm sending you home," Mr. Baker said. "Boys, help him." With that he left.

"You'd think he'd feel bad or something," Chad said, helping Troy to get Ryan off the ground.

"How are you guys getting home?" Kelsey asked.

"We usually just walk," Sharpay said.

Nodding at Chad quickly, Troy said, "We'll just take you guys home."

"Yeah," Chad said. "We don't need you passing out again."

Slowly helping Ryan out of the gym, Sharpay pointed them in the direction of their house and every few seconds would send a worried glance in Ryan's direction.

"Sharpay?"

Snapping her head to her right, Sharpay saw Gabriella and Kelsey looking at her slightly worried. "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're doing okay? You've been acting kind of weird," Kelsey said, used to Sharpay being…well…a bitch.

"I'm okay," Sharpay said. "I just got freaked out when Ryan collapsed."

"I think it freaked us all out," Gabriella said. "You guys okay back there?"

Looking back, she noticed the boys weren't paying attention to the conversation. They were more focused on keeping Ryan steady and keeping him from dozing off.

"You doing okay, Ryan?" Troy asked, trying to keep Ryan awake. If he had hit his head when he fell and had a concussion, they would need to keep him awake to make sure it didn't get worse.

"Yeah," Ryan said, dazed. "Just a bit dizzy."

"Do you need to stop for a minute?" Chad asked, tightening his grasp on Ryan as he began to slip.

Ryan slowly shook his head. "It's okay."

Looking at the dancer uncertainly, Troy nodded and continued on his way. Noticing Ryan's head had slightly fallen onto his shoulder, Troy gave him a slight nudge to wake him up. "No sleeping. We don't know if you got a concussion."

Giving Troy a small nod, Ryan blinked his eyes a few times to clear his vision.

"Here's our house," Sharpay said, pointing to a two story house. Walking up the steps, Sharpay unlocked the door for the others.

Slowly helping Ryan up the front steps, Troy and Chad assisted the exhausted boy through the double doors and into the living room.

"Thanks, you guys," Sharpay said, watching Troy and Chad lower Ryan onto the couch slowly.

Ryan gave a small, tired nod.

Bending down in front of Ryan, Gabriella stared into his eyes. "His pupils are dilating in and out. I'm guessing it's just a small concussion. It should probably be gone in a couple days," she said.

"Thanks," Ryan said, softly, beginning to doze off.

"Do you have any aspirins?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah," Sharpay said, nodding. "I'll go get them."

Returning a minute later with two white capsules and a cup of water, Sharpay handed them to Ryan.

Taking the offered items from his sister, Ryan quickly swallowed the pills. Lying back again, Ryan slowly fell asleep.

"We'll let him rest," Kelsey said, standing.

"See you tomorrow?"

Nodding at Gabriella, Sharpay gave a small smile.

Watching as the other four left, Sharpay sat next to her brother and gently smoothed his hair.

Somewhere behind her, a door slammed and a chill went down her back. He was home.

TBC

Anime Girl23: Yay! It's finished!

Ryan: You are _weird_.

Anime Girl23: I know! Isn't it awesome? Ha-ha. Anyway, please review! And to all of you who have, thank you!

Until next time!


	7. Secret No More

Hey, everyone! I just want to thank you all for bringing me past the 100 review point. This is the first fanfic that I wrote which got even close to this much. This chapter is dedicated to all of my reviewers. Thanks again!

Disclaimer: Oh, I wish.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 7

Secret No More

_**Evans House**_

Crashes sounded through the house as Michael stumbled down the hall in a drunken stupor. Coming up to the twins, Michael shoved Sharpay aside and brought a balled fist to the sleeping Ryan's cheek.

"Stop!" Sharpay pleaded. "He's already hurt!"

"Shut up, bitch," Michael yelled. "It's his own fault that he's hurt." Turning his head, Michael glared at his son in malice.

"Please-"

"I told you to shut up!" Shoving Sharpay into an arm chair, Michael raised his arm to slap her across the face.

Until a hand grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"Leave her alone," Ryan said, glaring at Michael through glazed, ocean blue eyes.

"Little shit," Michael yelled in anger, punching Ryan in the chest.

Gasping in pain as his father hit him in the middle of a particularly painful bruise, Ryan fell back onto the ground gasping for air. Muffling a cry of pain, Ryan felt his father bury his large fist into his stomach.

Grabbing Ryan by the collar, Michael roughly dragged his son up the stairs before throwing him into his room. Glaring down at Ryan, Michael began to repeatedly kick him in the chest until he heard a satisfying crack. Turning, he walked from the room, only to come back a minute later with the leather whip in his hand. Raising it above his head, Michael brought it down sharply on Ryan's back smiling as he heard Ryan cry out in pain.

Ryan felt the previous day's wounds open and suppressed a shudder as he felt the blood flow down his back. After his last attack, not even an hour prior, Ryan wasn't sure how long he would last through this beating…or if he even would. His father seemed really angry this time.

Not sure if it was from blood loss or exhaustion, Ryan's world slowly faded to black.

---

With tears rolling down her face, Sharpay listened to her brother's screams, hating herself for not being able to do anything for him. She wanted nothing more than to call the police and get them both out, but Ryan trusted her to not tell anybody and she didn't want to lose his trust. No one else knew what was happening and Ryan wanted to keep it that way. Sharpay knew that and she respected what he wanted even if she didn't want to.

Hearing her brother's screams grow weaker until they were gone completely, Sharpay fell to the ground with her knees pulled to her chest and covered her ears with her hands. Seeing her father walk down the stairs minutes later with a satisfied expression on his face and a new set of clothes, Sharpay watched him walk out of the house mumbling something about going to a bar.

Rushing as fast as she could to Ryan's room, Sharpay gasped in horror at the sight of Ryan lying in a pool of his own blood. Quickly checking for a heartbeat and pulse, she was relieved to find them. They were unsteady and weak, but they were there. Sharpay also noticed with relief that he was also breathing faintly.

Jumping as she heard someone knocking on the door, Sharpay stood on unsteady legs and slowly walked down the stairs, not caring that her clothes were soaked in Ryan's blood. Opening the door, Sharpay saw the four teens that had left not too long ago, standing in front of her.

"Sorry," Gabriella said, laughing lightly. "I got Troy and Ryan's bags mixed up."

Noticing the tracks on Sharpay's face left from the tears, Kelsey stared at the blonde, worried. "What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?" Troy asked, shocked when he saw the amount of blood covering Sharpay. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Sharpay said. "I'm fi…" She shook her head in defeat and looked up at the four in a pleading manner. "I need your help."

"What happened?" Chad asked.

"And where's Ryan?" Kelsey asked.

"In his room," Sharpay said, softly. "He's hurt."

"Where's his room?" Troy asked, seriously.

Leading them up the stairs, that were covered in Sharpay's bloody foot prints, she took them to the end of the hall and into a dark room. Walking back to Ryan with tear filled eyes, Sharpay shook her head again. "I can't do this alone. He's losing too much blood and I can't get it to stop." Placing her hand on her brother's chest lightly, Sharpay gasped in horror. "He's not breathing!"

"Gabriella, go call an ambulance," Troy ordered, moving Ryan out of Sharpay's lap and onto the ground.

Turning, Gabriella ran from the room.

Chad followed Gabriella. He couldn't stand blood and the sight of someone he knew so injured made him want to throw up.

"Kelsey, get over here."

Kneeling down beside Troy, Kelsey looked at the basketball star in question.

"Do you know CPR?" Troy asked.

Kelsey nodded.

"Do it," Troy ordered. Placing his hand at Ryan's heart, Troy swore. "His heart stopped."

Tilting Ryan's head back and blocking his nose, Kelsey waited for Troy to start compressions.

Pushing down on Ryan's chest, Tory counted along with the compressions. "One, two, three, breathe."

Kelsey brought her lips to Ryan's and exhaled the air she had taken in, in an attempt to get him to start breathing.

It didn't work.

Troy repeated the compressions.

Kelsey repeated breathing into Ryan's mouth.

It went on for a minute before Ryan began to cough up blood.

"He's choking on his blood," Troy said. "Sharpay, can you hold him up?"

Nodding, Sharpay let Troy lift Ryan gently and rest him against her chest with her brother's head on her shoulder. She didn't care that they were about to be found out by the police or that her clothes were never going to come clean.

The only thing that mattered was that Ryan was still alive.

TBC

Anime Girl23: Yay! Chapter seven's done! I had this done shortly after posting chapter six, but I wanted to wait a bit before I posted this. Oh, hi, Ryan. I didn't see you.

Ryan: You killed me!

Anime Girl23: Oh, cool it. You're alive.

Ryan: You killed me!

Anime Girl23: Stop being a broken record. Oh, also, dreamcaster555, it's like we share a brain! I read your review after I wrote this chapter and I just started laughing. I was like, "Hey, it's almost like what happens!" Ha-ha. Anyway, please review!

Until next time!


	8. More Confessions

Hey, everyone! I'm sorry, you all had to wait so long! I was really busy. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Also, whatever romance this has, it will be…well, you'll all have to wait and see.

Disclaimer: What do you think!

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 8

More Confessions

_**Evans House**_

"The ambulance is on its way," Gabriella said, reentering the room.

"Good thing too," Troy said. "I'm not a doctor, but I do know that if he loses too much more blood he could die…again."

"Again?" Chad's voice questioned.

Noticing Chad was no where in the room, Kelsey called, "Where are you?"

"In the hall," Chad called back. "I hate blood."

Looking down at Ryan sadly, Sharpay gently wiped away some of the blood that had trickled down his face.

"Who beat him?" Kelsey asked, softly.

"What do you mean?" Sharpay asked, slightly panicked.

Sticking her hand into her pocket, Kelsey pulled out a folded piece of notebook paper. Handing it to Sharpay, Kelsey watched the girl's eyes widen.

"Where did you get this?" Sharpay asked. "I thought Ryan had it."

"It was in my folder that you had handed back to me after we knocked into each other. When I found it in my folder I didn't know what it was," Kelsey said.

"Did you read it?"

"Not intentionally," Kelsey said. "I recognized your handwriting and when I saw it said, 'he's beating you,' I got scared. I was going to ask you about it after class, but I chickened out."

"Even if you had confronted me, I probably would have denied it," Sharpay said.

"You didn't answer the question, Sharpay," Gabriella said. "Who was it?"

"Our dad," Sharpay whispered.

"You're dad?" Troy echoed.

Sharpay nodded, sadly.

Jumping a bit, Sharpay heard the cry of sirens in front of her house. "You're going to be okay, Ryan," Sharpay whispered, softly into her brother's ear.

---

The ride to the hospital had seemed like it had taken years. When the paramedics had rushed in, they had bombarded the teens with questions while placing a breathing mask over Ryan's mouth and loading him onto a stretcher.

Sirens had blared as they raced through the streets and during that time Ryan's heartbeat had become irregular. Sharpay had held his hand the entire way, watching as blood seeped out of his back and dripped to the cold floor of the ambulance. Her heart was breaking as Sharpay watched Ryan struggle with each breath. She knew what she had to do.

Sharpay mumbled something inaudibly under her breath.

"What?" Troy asked. "We didn't hear you."

"He has a hole in his lung," Sharpay said, louder.

The paramedic looked at her in alarm. "Do you know how large it is?"

"It's pretty small, but it's been giving him some problems lately," Sharpay said.

"When was the last time today?" the paramedic asked.

"A couple hours ago at school," Sharpay said, softly.

"Wait," Kelsey said. "That's why he passed out? He said it was because he was sick."

"He didn't want anyone to know," Sharpay said. "He was trying to keep us from-"

"We're here," a paramedic said.

The paramedics quickly rushed Ryan from the vehicle and into the hospital, leaving the teens in their wake.

"He'll be okay," Gabriella said, resting a hand on Sharpay's shoulder.

"I hope so," Sharpay said, staring at the large double doors. "We're not going back."

"What?" Chad asked.

"They're not going to let us go home," Sharpay said; not sure if she should be happy or sad. "This is why Ryan didn't want to tell anyone. We'd get thrown back into a foster home."

"Back?" Kelsey repeated.

"When we were ten, the people at Child Protective Services or whatever decided that our house wasn't safe for us and we got put with a family," Sharpay said.

"Did you like it there?" Troy asked.

Sharpay nodded. "They had a daughter and we had all become friends pretty quick…but then her mom got transferred to another state for her job and we had to go back. Our dad didn't let us have contact with them."

"Who were they?" Gabriella asked.

"It's been so long," Sharpay said. "I can't even remember anymore. Wish I did, though. I miss them. So does Ryan."

"Who knows? You might see them again," Gabriella said.

"Yeah," Sharpay said. "Maybe."

TBC

Anime Girl23: Done! I hope you all liked this chapter!

Ryan: Yup, just another chapter for you to torture me.

Anime Girl23: Uh-huh! D Anyway, please review!

Until next time!


	9. Interrogation Time Has Arrived

Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry that it's taken so long for this chapter to be posted! I've had it done for ages, but I forgot about it and never had a chance to post it. Anyway, I hope that you all like this chapter. It's kind of boring, but it plays a part, so it was necessary.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own High School Musical.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 9

Interrogation Time Has Arrived

_**Albuquerque General Hospital**_

"Excuse me."

Looking up, the teens were met with the view of two police officers.

The one who had spoken to them was a tanned male no older than twenty-three. His light brown hair was cut short and was gelled so it was out of the way from his blue eyes. His badge read Matthew Collins.

The officer standing beside him was a young woman that seemed like she was fresh out of the academy. Her long, strawberry blonde hair was tied back into a high ponytail and her bangs rested against her forehead right above her gray eyes. Her badge read Elizabeth Parker.

Both were in the traditional officer garb.

"Can we help you with something?" Sharpay asked.

"Which one of you is Sharpay Evans?" Elizabeth asked.

"I am," Sharpay said.

"May we speak to you for a few minutes in the other room?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's about Ryan, right?" Sharpay asked. Getting a nod from Michael, Sharpay looked at her friends. "Can you guys come get me if there's any word?"

"No problem," Troy said.

Nodding in thanks, Sharpay followed the officers into a small room.

Looking at the officers, after they shut the door, Sharpay asked, "We're going to get put in foster care again. Aren't we?"

"There's a good chance," Matthew said.

"Is there any chance we'd be put back with the last family? We had loved it there and they had helped Ryan a lot too," Sharpay said.

"We'll look into it," Elizabeth said. "I work at Child Protective Services as well, so if I have your permission, I'll take a look into your files and find their names and location."

Sharpay smiled, softly. "Thanks."

Elizabeth nodded at her. Turning serious, she took out a notebook.

"Question time?"

Question time," Elizabeth confirmed. "When did it start?"

"What do you mean? Family problems? My dad becoming a drunk? Him becoming abusive? Be specific."

"Start with the beginning," Matthew said.

"We found out about Ryan having a hole in his lung when we were six. After he came home our dad had started pressuring us about going into show business. He had us practicing everyday for hours on end. He probably would have made us practice longer if it wasn't for our mom."

"Where is she?" Elizabeth asked.

"She died a year after it started. She was coming home from work and the car slid off the road and into a ravine," Sharpay said, sadly.

"What happened after that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Our dad started to pressure us more and started drinking. He blamed Ryan the most for our mother's death."

"Why did he blame Ryan?" Matthew asked.

"Our mom had gotten a second job to help pay for the hospital bills and that was the job she had been coming home from." Sharpay sighed. "It used to really set him off on how she would cut practices short. He didn't really care if Ryan got hurt. He used to say that if Ryan couldn't handle it, it was his own fault."

"And then he got abusive?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah," Sharpay said, nodding. "It started out as him just pushing Ryan around. Maybe a slap here and there. Then, he started drinking more and hurting Ryan more often."

"Did he ever hit you?" Elizabeth asked.

"He almost hit me today, but Ryan stopped him," Sharpay said. "It was kind of an unspoken knowledge that if Ryan took the beatings, then I wouldn't get hurt." Sharpay looked off to the side as a tear slipped past her eye.

"You didn't like it? Did you?" Elizabeth asked.

Sharpay shook her head. "He wanted to protect me, but I didn't like that it meant he would get so injured. And it didn't help that he was always telling me to not tell anyone."

"Why didn't he want to you tell anyone? Didn't he know that you would both be safer?" Matthew asked.

"He didn't want anyone to know. There was always a chance that we could get separated or sent to a family that was abusive or something. He's always tried to keep me safe. He doesn't care if he gets hurt," Sharpay said, crying.

Resting a hand on the girl's shoulder, Elizabeth handed Sharpay a Kleenex. "He's the older of you two, right?"

"Yeah," Sharpay said.

"Just one more question," Elizabeth said. "If we find the family that took you in before, would you and your brother go to them?"

"If Ryan wanted to and they would take us," Sharpay said.

Elizabeth smiled, softly. She would find the family. She'd do anything it took to make sure Ryan didn't meet the same fate as her brother.

TBC

Anime Girl23: Yay! It's done!

Ryan: Joy. The Evans' life story. Is this fun for you?

Anime Girl23: Oh, yeah. . Anyway, please review!

Until next time!


	10. Not Alone

Hey, everyone! I know it's been so long since any of you got an update, and although I said I wouldn't update until I finished the story, I couldn't resist. I _will_ revise the other chapters, but until then, here's chapter 10! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: What do you think!

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 10

Not Alone

_**Albuquerque General Hospital**_

"You finished?" Kelsey asked, watching Sharpay walk back up to the group.

Sharpay nodded. "Any word yet?"

"None yet," Gabriella said.

"It's getting late. You guys can go home if you want," Sharpay said.

Kelsey shook her head. "I'm staying."

"Same here," Gabriella said.

Troy and Chad nodded.

"You should at least call your parents," Sharpay said. "It's almost six and none of you guys went home."

"All right," Gabriella said.

Standing, the four teens reluctantly left Sharpay as they walked to the payphones.

Sighing, Sharpay lowered her head into her hands and let out a sob. As tears rolled down her face, Sharpay's shoulders shook with each sob. She didn't know how long she had been crying for and didn't think she was going to stop until she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Looking up, Sharpay saw Kelsey looking at her sympathetically.

"You okay?" Kelsey asked.

Sharpay shook her head. "He promised me that he'd be okay," she sobbed. "He promised me."

Hugging Sharpay gently, Kelsey felt the blonde collapse lightly onto her chest and begin to break down. Kelsey felt tears form in her own eyes as she looked at the girl she used to fear.

With growing shock and pity, the teens realized how hard the life for the Evans twins must have been. The elder of the two was physically abused and the younger was abused emotionally. And although Ryan would be the one that held the visible scars, the twins would both suffer.

Ryan had been the one that had been on the receiving end of Michael's fist. To protect Sharpay, Ryan had accepted that he would be vulnerable to the world. The blood flowing from his back had been evident enough to show that he was the one to take the physical abuse.

Sharpay was the one that was left to care for her injured brother and worry about him. She had been the one who had been subjected to having to hear her brother's cries and the crack of the whip. The sight of Sharpay's tears and the shaking of her shoulders had revealed that she had been the one that faced the emotional abuse.

Both had been subjected to different types of abuse, but had also been hurt with enough mental abuse to last them a lifetime. Both would carry the mental scars left by Michael forever. They wouldn't disappear. The mental abuse would be shared between the two like their, already shared, birthday.

Looking at her friends, Kelsey could do nothing except hold the crying girl.

Out of everyone, Kelsey had known the Evans twins the longest. She had been used to seeing Sharpay as a girl who had everything together. And Ryan…they had never been friends, but he had never snapped at her like Sharpay had. He'd been nothing but polite to her. Turning her eyes back towards Sharpay, Kelsey softly said, "He'll be okay."

"I'm scared," Sharpay sobbed. "It was never this bad."

"He's handled them both for years right?" Troy asked, putting a hand on Sharpay's shoulder.

Sharpay gave a small nod.

"Then he can get through this," Troy said. "The strength it takes to endure everything and all the training you two have done for the dancing and stuff, it made him stronger."

"Hey," Gabriella said softly. Lifting Sharpay's face, Gabriella wiped a tear off of Sharpay's cheek. "No crying."

Sharpay laughed softly. "Ryan would be telling me to stop. He's always hated to see me cry," she said.

"And I don't think today's an exception," Gabriella said.

"Yeah," Chad said. "I have a little sister too. Every time she cries, I hate it. Especially if I felt I caused it."

"Ryan's the same way," Sharpay said softly. Her voice had become a bit hoarse from crying.

"It's the Big-Bro Code," Chad said. "Crying little sisters is a big no-no in the book."

"He'll make it through," Kelsey said. "If he wasn't strong enough it would have ended at your house. He came back. He's not going to leave you, Sharpay."

"I know," Sharpay said. "It's just…I'm worried." She looked at the four around her. "And I just want to say…thanks for being here."

Kelsey gave a small smile. "What are friends for?"

TBC

Anime Girl23: What do you guys think?

Ryan: I _know_ that you have problems.

Anime Girl23: Yeah, so does the rest of planet Earth. Anyway, please review!

Until next time!


	11. With The Doctor Comes The Answers

Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry it's taken so long for me to post this. It's been on my computer for ages, butI haven't had a spare moment. Okay, so how many of you have been researching High School Musical 2 trying to find stuff? I haven't found anything I haven't known for months. But I have a question. Is it true that Ryan's going to have a love interest with one of the Panabaker (sp?) sisters? When I told my friends, they started ranting that Ryan was gay. I guess we've been reading too many slash stories. You don't know how hard this is for my to not turn this into a Troy/Ryan story. Haha.

Disclaimer: What do you think?!

Falling Off The Ladder  
Chapter 11  
With The Doctor Comes The Answers

_**Albuquerque General Hospital**_

It had been an hour and a half now. Sharpay's tears had slowed and small conversations had begun. Topics of drama, basketball, and music had gone fairly quickly. Then came the topic of the twin's home life. Sharpay had told them, in a saddened voice, what she had told the officers.

Needless to say, the others had been shocked. They had suspected it was bad, but they never thought that the twins had been through so much. With shock and pity, the four realized why Ryan and Sharpay acted the way they did. They couldn't let anyone in. Taking the chance of someone finding out the truth was just too big of a risk.

Sharpay had explained to them that during the time of the musical auditions, Ryan had been pushed down the cement stairs that led to their garage and had gotten a concussion. It had been a bit strange. Neither his singing nor dancing had been affected but there were times when letters would get messed up or switched, almost as if he had dyslexia. There were also the small, strange outbursts that would happen at random times. Most of the outbursts happened at home, but there were the select few that happened in public. She has told them that for a while she was worried he had sustained brain damage, but was relieved when they faded with the concussion.

Sharpay sighed. "When are they going to let us know if he's okay?"

"Who's here for Ryan Evans?" a voice asked.

"Now, I guess," Chad said.

"We are," Sharpay said, standing as a doctor walked over to the group. Seeing the doctor look at her in a questioning manner, she quickly added, "I'm his sister."

The doctor nodded. Looking at the others, she asked, "Friends?"

"Yeah," Gabriella said.

"How is he?" Kelsey asked.

"It took some work, but we were able to get him stabilized," the doctor said. "He lost a lot of blood which resulted in his heart rate dropping. We lost him a couple times, but like I said, we got him stabilized and his vitals look good for a teenager in his condition."

"So, he's going to be okay?" Sharpay asked.

The doctor nodded. "It will take him a while to recover, but he will with time. You see, three of his ribs were broken, two were fractured, and _all_ of them were bruised. He'll be in a lot of pain. We'll put him on some painkillers for that, though, so he'll be pretty numb. Also, he has a pretty serious concussion. However, we can't determine how it will affect him until he wakes up."

"Do you mean like memory problems or whatever?" Sharpay asked.

"Yes," the doctor said. "There could be, like you said, memory problems, fainting spells, vision problems, etc."

"Why was there so much blood?" Gabriella asked. "Bruised ribs don't bleed."

The doctor sighed. "I was saving this part for last," she said. "There was a stab wound-"

"Stab?!" Sharpay exclaimed, feeling tears spring to her eyes.

"Luckily, nothing too major was hit, but it did break a few of the larger blood vessels. We have him hooked up to a blood bag and an IV to try and help."

"Can we see him?" Kelsey asked.

The doctor looked at her sympathetically. "Only family is allowed into the ICU. Hospital policy."

"Even in this case?" Sharpay asked. "Because he's family, you would let our father in, but the friends that helped to save him when we were at my house aren't? I'm sorry, but that's screwed up."

Everyone gave a small chuckle. Sharpay was right.

The doctor sighed. "I shouldn't be doing this," she muttered. "We'll make an exception."

"Thanks," Sharpay said, smiling softly.

"Where's his room?" Kelsey asked.

Taking a quick look at her papers, the doctor replied, "Room 237." With a small smile and a nod, she walked off.

"He'll be okay," Gabriella said, seeing the distressed look on Sharpay's face.

"I know," she said. "It's just…room 237 is the room our mom died in."

"Well, that's an oxymoron for you," Chad said.

Troy smacked him upside the head.

"It is!" Chad insisted.

"I know that," Troy said. "You don't need to point it out."

"Bit of irony, too," Chad mumbled, ducking his head as Troy moved to smack him again.

"Quiet," Kelsey hissed when they stopped in front of the closed door.

Gabriella rested a gentle hand on Sharpay's shoulder. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Sharpay said, turning the knob.

TBC

Anime Girl23: DONE! Yay! Hope you all liked it. I can't say for sure when Chapter 12 will be up, but I'll do my best to make it sooner than you had to wait for this.

Ryan: _Mumbles _Freak.

Anime Girl23: Thank you. P Please review! It'll help me work harder! And Happy Thanksgiving! Yeah, I'm a day early, but who cares?!

Until next time!


	12. A Brother's Promise

Hey, everyone! It's probably pointless to say how sorry I am for making you all wait this long, but I'm gonna anyway. I'M SORRY! I get motivated to write when I see the movie and it hasn't been on in forever. That and…I've become a Grey's Anatomy GeorgeAlex addict.

I hope I haven't lost too many of you over the wait. I'm going to do my best to update soon, but I'm a junior in high school and I've got college tours, SATs, and all that fun stuff.

I'll update when I can, but I can't promise when.

Please keep reading and reviewing that way I know I haven't driven you all away with my lack of updates.

AND FOR THE RECORD, I'VE TRIED TO GET THIS UP FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS! THE SITE WOULDN'T LET ME! YOU WOULD HAVE HAD IT SOONER, BUT WAS MEAN!

Disclaimer: Nope, I _still_ don't own it.

Falling Off The Ladder

Chapter 12

A Brother's Promise

_**Hospital**_

Taking a deep breath, Sharpay pushed open the door. Gasping softly, her hands shot up to cover her mouth. "Ry…" she trailed off.

Ryan was lying unconscious on the hospital bed. His face was pale and his hair glistened slightly from the water left after the nurses had cleaned the blood from his golden locks. However, traces of red still shown through as a harsh reminder of what had happened.

The right side of his face had grown dark from the bruise that had engulfed his cheek. His right arm was wrapped in an ACE bandage and lay across his chest. Beside his bed was a heart monitor and IV stand. No one could see his chest or back beneath the hospital gown and they weren't sure they wanted to.

Blinking back tears, Sharpay walked over to her brother. Bending down, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Hey, Ry," she whispered. Taking his good hand in her own, she lowered herself into a chair.

Slowly getting over his shock, Troy walked to Ryan's side. "Hey, man." He wasn't sure what else he could say. He barely knew the Evans twins. It wasn't until this moment did he wish that he had. They hadn't had a real conversation since probably kindergarten; before their mother had been killed. Now, he realized, he didn't even know why he stopped speaking to them.

Gabriella and Kelsi stepped up beside Troy.

Gabriella places a friendly kiss on Ryan's unblemished cheek. "Hey."

Kelsey, although feeling slightly awkward, followed Gabriella's actions and kissed Ryan's cheek. Tingling slightly at the touch, she could only mumble a quiet, "Hi."

"Hey, dude," Chad said.

They all sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. They didn't make a sound until Ryan stirred.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ryan started to rise.

"Hold on a minute," Chad said, laying a hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"Who ran me over?" Ryan mumbled, taking no notice to Chad, but still lowering back onto the bed. He placed a hand on his head.

"Dad got angry," Sharpay said. "They came back to the house and you needed help-"

"Shar," Ryan said, "slow down."

Sharpay blushed. "Sorry."

"I'll go get the doctor and let her know you're awake," Gabriella volunteered.

Sharpay nodded. "Thanks."

Noticing that the twins needed a minute alone, Troy said, "We'll go with you." He motioned to the others.

Mouthing a small thanks to Troy, Ryan looked at his sister. "Shar…"

Tears poured from Sharpay's eyes as she grabbed onto Ryan in a desperate hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she chanted.

Biting back a hiss of pain as Sharpay leaned into his stab wound, Ryan draped his arms around his sister. "It's okay-"

"No, it isn't!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Everyone knows about Dad! You're in the hospital! You're hurt! We can't go home again! He'll kill us! And you died, Ryan! You _died_!" Tears fell in torrents down her face.

Still trapped in his sister's arms, Ryan said, "We'll be okay. They won't send us back. They can't. And, yeah, I'm in the hospital, but I'm going to be fine. I promise. It's going to be okay."

"How do you know?"

"I'm your big brother," he said as if it were obvious. "It's my job to know these things."

"You're only older by six minutes," Sharpay said, laughing softly.

Ryan smiled. "Still older." He paused. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Sharpay shook her head.

Ryan stared at his sister, not saying anything as he took in her bloodshot eyes and reddened nose. _She could have gotten hurt. He could have killed her._ It didn't matter that he had nearly died himself. All Ryan cared about was protecting his little sister from their dad. The guy was tough and he didn't hold back. If he got anywhere near Sharpay, he'd be able to seriously hurt her way too easily.

Ryan pulled Sharpay to him again. Resting his chin on her head, he felt a tear slip past his eye. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sharpay whispered. "You didn't do anything."

Turning his eyes towards the ceiling, Ryan mouthed a small 'Thank you, Mom' to the angel he knew was watching over them.

TBC

Anime Girl23: There you go. Hope it was okay for the long wait. It's short, I know, but it's better than nothing right?

Ryan: At least I'm awake.

Anime Girl23: YEAH! Be happy about that! Ryan is awake and now more romance hints can begin!

Ryan: Someone kill me. _Looks around_ DAD! I'M OVER HERE!

Anime Girl23: WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME?! WAHH!!! _Perks up_ PLEASE REVIEW!

Until next time!


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